Nave Law Firm’s Senior Attorney Quoted Regarding Subtle Driving Mistakes That Can Get You Pulled Over

Our Albany office’s Senior Attorney, Derek Andrews, was recently asked to provide a quote for an online article published by Reader’s Digest about subtle and unknown driving mistakes that could get you pulled over by cops. You can find that article here: READER DIGEST

DWI/DUI cases commonly start with some of the most innocuous and seemingly innocent traffic infractions; then they turn into a nightmare. Taillights or headlights being too dim, a brake light or license plate light not working, an obscured license plate, an expired registration or inspection sticker, crossing a hazard/fog line even just one time, following another vehicle too closely, not using a turn signal out of a parking lot or traffic circle, and even license plate scanners that can check DMV records for license suspensions or revocations are just a few of the reasons a driver might get pulled over and not have a clue why until they’re told. Police officers seem to remember their rule books at night so these traffic infractions are the ones they’re looking for.

To prevent stops involving faulty equipment violations, a good driver should always check his or her car to make sure everything is in working order before getting on the road.

Drivers also have to be mindful of several different types of pavement markings–double yellow lines, double white lines, hashed white or yellow lines, turn lanes, and even the solid white line that divides a lane from a shoulder or the edge of roadway. That last one is known as a fog line. New York vehicle and traffic law requires that drivers maneuver their vehicles entirely within a single lane, with some limited exceptions. Police officers have been known to pull drivers over when their vehicles, even just a portion like a tire, crosses the fog line. What they eventually allege is that the driver moved from a lane unsafely. Case law at the moment is equivocal about whether this is a legitimate reason to pull a driver over so and an uneducated and unrepresented driver may find themselves in that nightmare, especially if he or she is eventually charged with more serious offenses like DWI/DUI.

It’s cases like those described above that require an experienced DWI attorney who will thoroughly investigate the reason for a stop and then advise you whether there might be a reason to fight for the suppression of evidence that the government may eventually try to use against you.

If you or someone you know is charged with a DWI, or even something as deceptively simple as a traffic ticket, contact the capable and courtroom-ready attorneys at the Nave Law Firm. You’ll be in good hands.